… Stop interfering in our affairs, party fires back at Labour
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has passed a vote of no confidence in the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, and has demanded his resignation for scheduling a National Convention of the Party in March, without the NLC’s consent contrary to a court ruling.
The NLC in a statement over the weekend said it found the development as further aberration and extrapolation of the mismanagement of the Labour Party through a very strange leadership style of sole administration by Abure.
NLC Political Commission’s Chairperson, Titus Amba and Secretary, Chris Uyot, signed the document issued at the weekend.
The Congress also expressed disappointment over all the allegations and scandals involving Abure, and accused him of being the cause of all the crises in the party.
The statement read in part: “The Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission has received news of the clandestine scheduling of a supposed National Convention of the Labour Party in March 2024 by the National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.
“This news came as a shock to us as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was never in anyway informed of any plans to hold the Labour Party National Convention.
“Mr. Julius Abure, contrary to the solidarity spirit and camaraderie ethos of the Labour Party has decided to run the party as a Sole Administrator, the same allegations that have been hurled at him by the numerous persons he is fighting in the party. We affirm that Abure does not have the sole proprietorship of the processes for a national convention.
“On March 20, 2018, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court gave a consent judgment that mandated the Labour Party to hold an all-inclusive national convention.”
NLC said that in the judgement, the leadership of the NLC and LP in a process mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) signed an agreement mandating the party to recognise the statutory membership of organised labour in the National Working Committee of the LP, constitute the Board of Trustees of the LP and conduct an all-inclusive National Convention of the LP in line with the court judgement by Justice Gabriel Kolawole.
The NLC further stated: “Unfortunately, out of all the agreements reached with Organised Labour, the Labour Party leadership under Mr Abure has partially implemented the recognition of NLC statutory membership of Labour Party National Working Committee.
“The rest of the agreement has been tossed aside with impunity by Mr Abure. The several promises by Mr Abure to fully implement including the conduct of an inclusive national convention of the Labour Party, which has the force of court judgement has been discovered to be fluke.”
NLC said Instead of sticking to agreements, Abure has deployed all manner of subterfuge to undermine the efforts of NLC to reposition the Labour Party as the number one political party in Nigeria including shunning invitations to meet with the NLC Political Commission.
“The continued refusal of the National Chairman of the Labour Party to showcase the leadership qualities epitomised in the founding ideology of the Labour Party presents him as unfit for the position he desperately wishes to cling to and we have now discovered is the reason behind all the crises in the Labour Party.
“The sole administrator mentality of Mr. Abure has stood in the way of efforts by the NLC Political Commission to intervene and resolve the leadership crisis in the Labour Party.
“The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has weighed in on the recent scandals affecting Mr. Julius Abure and has called for a forensic audit into the use of party funds. The leadership of the NLC fully supports the position of Mr. Peter Obi. It is unfortunate that Mr. Julius Abure does not want this to be done before going behind the back of stakeholders in the party to plan for an illegal National Convention.
“It is on this note that the leadership of the NLC passes a vote of no confidence on Mr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. We demand his resignation immediately and we demand the constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive National Convention of the Labour Party. This cannot be hurriedly done as it is required that conventions are done at ward, local government and state levels before a national convention is contemplated.”
Reacting to this, LP denied disobeying any court order on the matter and advised NLC to desist from unduly interfering in the party’s affairs.
LP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, stated that the NLC could not assert ownership as only card-carrying members of LP can do so.
It also described the Congress and its Political Commission as a bundle of contradiction and paradox, advising its President, Joe Ajaero, to concentrate on his current position unless he aims to become the LP National Chairman.
“The NLC letter did not come to us as a surprise or a shock. It was long expected before now, having known that the NLC was going to engage itself on this misadventure.
“Nigerians will recall that in 2014, NLC has been involved in a war of blackmail and attrition against the Labour Party and its leadership. It was only recently, following the civil and diplomatic approach adopted by Barrister Julius Abure when he assumed leadership that he was able to get the then President of the NLC, Ayuba Waba and the then President of the Trade Union Congress, Olaleye Quadri to a truce where the NLC, TUC and Labour Party agreed to work together in harmony.
“Unfortunately, the rascality of the current president of the NLC, Joe Ajero has destroyed the successes already recorded. It must be noted that the NLC and its political commission have become a bundle of contradiction and paradox.”